Final answer:
The Ancient Empire of Mali, founded by Sundiata Keita, was a prosperous and powerful Islamic empire in West Africa known for its wealth, trade, and cultural achievements, particularly under Mansa Musa’s rule, before its decline due to internal and external pressures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Ancient Empire of Mali was a highly significant and powerful state in West Africa during the 13th to the 16th centuries. Founded by the legendary leader Sundiata Keita around 1200 CE, it rose to prominence after the decline of the Ghana Empire. Mali was not only vast in its territorial reach, extending from the Senegal and Upper Niger rivers to the regions beyond the Niger Bend, but it also became famously wealthy, particularly during the reign of Mansa Musa in the 14th century, who was noted for his extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca that had a notable impact on the economies of the regions through which he traveled. The empire thrived on its control over the trans-Saharan trade, particularly in gold and salt, and became an Islamic state, although it retained a blend of traditional African religious practices. The capital city of Timbuktu turned into a hub of Islamic learning, trade, and architecture under the Mali Empire's zenith. However, succession issues and the pressures from external attack such as those by the Tuareg and the rise of the Songhai Empire eventually led to Mali's decline. Despite its eventual downfall, the Mali Empire is remembered for its rich historical and cultural heritage, its advanced government and social systems, and its role in the spread of Islamic culture in West Africa.